It is good to be back from my week away; the highlight for me was a
brilliant day spent at the Cheltenham Festival. The bookmakers had a good
day as well, as I kept changing my mind about which horses I was going to
back, only to watch my original choice romp home! Listen to the voice of
experience; if you want a certain return on your money, put it in a
bank.

The Community has been very busy in my absence, so this was a difficult
column to write. There isn't space for half of what I wanted to include, but
here are some of things that caught my eye.

Ask h2g2

Ask h2g2 is a mine of information on current
events and obscure facts. Here are some of the topics that have been keeping
the Community talking this week:

• Is a starving freeman better off
  than a well-fed slave? Are we free anyway or are we all slaves to
  some extent? This is an interesting debate on work and how neccessary it is
  to do a job we enjoy.

• Has something stomach-wrenchingly embarrassing happened to you
  lately? Don't sit in a corner and torture yourself over it! Confession is
  good for the soul, so why not tell the
  Community all about it? You can read about the misfortunes of others;
  there is nothing like a bit of Schadenfreude!

• Just how dangerous is Measles? Older Researchers might remember being
  sent to play with children who had childhood diseases like this, but recent
  press coverage has highlighted the dangers of this disease. What do you think?

• This week the BBC launched a new national radio station 6 Music. Have you heard it? What do you think of it? This is your
  chance to let the Community know what you think.

• Easter is just around the corner, bringing with it religious
  reflection for some and lots of chocolate for others. How do you celebrate
  Easter?

Edited Entries

This week's pick of the Edited Entries has a musical theme to it, with
some comedy and food to add a little variety. I have to admit being very
biaised in my choice but it's my column after all.

• It has been said by more then one person that if they make a film of
  my life¹ then I would be
  played by Victoria Wood. I am deeply flattered
  and it is great to see that the Edited Guide has an entry on one of
  Britain's best comediennes. From Acorn Antiques to Dinner Ladies, Ms Wood
  is one of the brightest stars in our comedy firmament.

• Mark Moxon first introduced me to the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, but despite playing me this
  ethereal music, he never told me anything about the band itself. Fortunately
  I can now turn to h2g2 and a little entry on this most unusual of
  bands.

• It is good to see that we now have an entry on the legendary Buddy Holly. I like to consider myself a fan, but I
  didn't know that his surname came from a spelling mistake on his first
  record contract! This is a great entry with some surprising Buddy facts. Why
  not get to know one of Rock 'n' Roll's founding fathers?

• I came to Jazz recently through the music of Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. Like many jazz greats, Parker's life
  was a string of failed relationships, substance abuse and depression.
  However, his music was revolutionary and if you have not discovered it yet,
  then I implore you to read this article about a truly great
  musician.

• Rice. It is the perfect comfort food and in our house we are so
  addicted to it, we buy it in 15kg packs! This recipe for Gooey Rice caught my eye immediately. Risotto is
  lovely but it is so fiddly to cook, so it is great to be able to throw
  everything in the microwave and let modern technology deal with the rest.
  

Community Choice

If you have any suggestions for items to be included in this column or to
be featured in Abi's Activities, do let me know.

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